The rebuild for the OKC Thunder started prior to the 2019-20 season. They made the Paul George with the LA Clippers trade which netted them Danilo Gallinari, a plethora of draft picks, and, the most important piece of the trade, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He spent all of last season playing alongside one of the greatest point guards of all time, Chris Paul. This was a fantastic apprenticeship for Gilgegous-Alexander to have, He was able to learn so much from the Point God that he is going to speed the rebuild along.
The Thunder were a competitive team this season with Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup. He was able to fill up the box score most nights. He averaged 23.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 33.7 minutes per game.
The OKC Thunder have a very bright future with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading them.
When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was healthy, the Thunder had 16 wins in 35 games. This had them just out of the playoffs and right in the mix for a play-in spot. The Thunder would only win on six more occasions in the last 37 games of the season which shows the value of his play.
They also shut down Al Horford at a similar point of the season. His defense was crucial for the Thunder but it was the loss of Gilgeous-Alexander that was the main reason for the Thunder losing as many games as they did.
He has the ability to break down the defense with his driving, but can also shoot the 3-ball and has the ability to find the open man. With the talent that the Thunder are about to add via the draft and potential free agency, SGA has the ability to lead this team to greater things.